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Question for music experts about Eric Clapton.

F

Ferocious

Diamond Member
I agree that he's a very good guitarist/musician.

But I don't understand why many people refer to him as the greatest guitar player ever.

Is there like specific reasons or things to consider when listening to his work?
Or is it just a general consenus kind of thing based on everyone's taste.
 
I guess it depends on your definition of guitar playing, but, I'd wager he could (given some reasonable amount of time to practice) play pretty much anything that anyone else has played with a similar guitar. And his songwriting and improvisational abilities are outstanding too. Plus he's a good singer. Whether or not he's the greatest, he is 'great'. There's no Guitar Olympics so it's just opinion anyway.
 
Hendrix had a distaste for Clapton because Clapton didn't like to play rhthym (sometimes I can't remember how to spell - that sure looks wrong), which is part and parcel of the blues-playing deal.

I tend to respectfully disagree with the dead man, but it's the only real criticism of Clapton I can think of.

As an added bonus, Clapton DID NOT invent finger-tapping, and therefore is not to blame for the 1980s😀
 
Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Listen to his work when he was with Cream and you will understand why he is considered great!
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Indeed. These young'uns have only heard MTV Unplugged and don't know what he sounded like back then. He was THE MAN and is THE MAN now. I bow at his altar.
 
He's definately one of the greats... has one of the best ears/mind for coming up with audibly pleasant lead lines imho. Not only that, but he adds his own definitive 'style' to everything he does... very rarely does it come along where you can hear a song and know who it is just by the guitar line, and he does it throughout his catalog. To tell you the truth, there really isn't a single guitar line I've heard him write/play that sounded bad, and there are plenty that are sweet...

For all of you that say crap like 'oooh yngwie is the best guitarist ever', eat me. Technicality != Musicality.
 
IMO Eric Clapton is a brilliant musician, and an extremely gifted songwriter, but I wouldn't put him in the same class as, say, a Jimi Hendrix. Clapton's playing has always been a little derivative, and he never really broke ground a la Hendrix IMO. OTOH, it's unfair to compare people to Jimi Hendrix, and I have no real credibility to be damning Clapton with faint praise - just my take on things.
 
Originally posted by: DonVito
IMO Eric Clapton is a brilliant musician, and an extremely gifted songwriter, but I wouldn't put him in the same class as, say, a Jimi Hendrix. Clapton's playing has always been a little derivative, and he never really broke ground a la Hendrix IMO. OTOH, it's unfair to compare people to Jimi Hendrix, and I have no real credibility to be damning Clapton with faint praise - just my take on things.
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I'm not sure about that -- who was he derivative of? I think part of the problem is that so many people ripped from him that some aspects of his guitarwork seem mundane now.
 
Originally posted by: DonVito
IMO Eric Clapton is a brilliant musician, and an extremely gifted songwriter, but I wouldn't put him in the same class as, say, a Jimi Hendrix. Clapton's playing has always been a little derivative, and he never really broke ground a la Hendrix IMO. OTOH, it's unfair to compare people to Jimi Hendrix, and I have no real credibility to be damning Clapton with faint praise - just my take on things.
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I agree that Jimi Hendrix was probably the greatest. Not because he was fast or clever. Rather because he put soul into the music. By soul, I mean the pauses, breaks, stops, and all the things he'd do to maximize a chord. Kind of like he did with the Star-spangled banner. Clapton knows how to milk a song for emotional effect too which is why he is considered a great. They transcend the skill of musicianship and become composer.
 
Originally posted by: Strang

I'm not sure about that -- who was he derivative of? I think part of the problem is that so many people ripped from him that some aspects of his guitarwork seem mundane now.
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Pretty much all his playing is heavily influenced by Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and any number of other bluesmen. I don't think he'd disagree.
 
Ever hear of any of these bands?

The Yardbirds
John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers
Cream
Blind Faith
Derek and the Dominos

Clapton was the guitarist for all 5 of these classic bands before 1973 ended. That alone is a career and one that would put him in the Rock & Roll hall of fame. He has put out 35 solo albums since then....

As the famous graffiti so eloquently put it...

Eric Clapton is God
 
Originally posted by: DonVito
Originally posted by: Strang

I'm not sure about that -- who was he derivative of? I think part of the problem is that so many people ripped from him that some aspects of his guitarwork seem mundane now.
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Pretty much all his playing is heavily influenced by Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and any number of other bluesmen. I don't think he'd disagree.
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Well, I would agree that his blues playing was influenced by them, but what about stuff like Layla and the lead in While My Guitar Gently Weeps? I think there's a difference between derivative and inspired by.
 
Hendrix better than clapton? That's like saying steve kerr is better than jordan because he had a better outside shot. I like hendrix, no question, but I don't think he displayed as much range as clapton has throughout his career. I'm not sure whether clapton is the best ever, there are so many great ones it's hard to choose.
 
Is Clapton the greatest guitar player of all time? No
Is he one of the all time greats? Yes, easily.


IMO it's silly to try and pick just 1 "greatest guitar player". I don't see how you can even compare guys like Hendrix and Clapton...they are completely different. Hendrix was very experimental and would play stuff that would make you say "What the hell did he just do?" whereas when Clapton plays, he makes you feel and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. Having said that, to say Hendrix couldn't toy with your emotions and Clapton couldn't make your head spin would be dead wrong.
 
Hendrix better than clapton? That's like saying steve kerr is better than jordan because he had a better outside shot. I like hendrix, no question, but I don't think he displayed as much range as clapton has throughout his career.
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True. Hendrix did break new ground, but it's a bit different from Clapton's style, which is considerably remarkable as well. Keep in mind that Hendrix was only around for maybe 4 years. Therefore, he didn't have a whole lot of time to "expand" his music...though I'm sure if he was alive today, he wouldn't have a band around his head and playing the guitar with his false teeth. Who knows?
 
Originally posted by: DonVito
Originally posted by: Strang

I'm not sure about that -- who was he derivative of? I think part of the problem is that so many people ripped from him that some aspects of his guitarwork seem mundane now.
Click to expand...

Pretty much all his playing is heavily influenced by Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and any number of other bluesmen. I don't think he'd disagree.
Click to expand...
Freddie King is another big influence of his. But from what I've read he's always been very reverential to the bluesmen of the past. It was a two-way street really, the success of people like Clapton allowed some of the surviving musicians from the Mississippi Delta to gain international fame and revive interest in their music (and get some financial compensation), recording & touring right up until their deaths in several cases.

Clapton was right on the crest of the wave of British musicians who brought blues to the white masses, which after some additional amplification and turbocharging started turning into rock. Clapton was right in the middle of all of it. He is the guy who popularized the Les Paul into a cranked Marshall amp. Anyone who's curious should check out some Freddie King, Albert King, Howling Wolf, etc. from the early/mid 60's. The genesis of the sound is there.

I'd agree that Hendrix broke more ground musically. I love his sense of rhythm, he was a great rhythm player. I like them both though. Clapton may also suffer a little in my mind because he has stuck around long enough to make some real turds in the last 20-30 years.
 
Originally posted by: SludgeFactory
Originally posted by: DonVito
Originally posted by: Strang

I'm not sure about that -- who was he derivative of? I think part of the problem is that so many people ripped from him that some aspects of his guitarwork seem mundane now.
Click to expand...

Pretty much all his playing is heavily influenced by Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Robert Johnson, Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and any number of other bluesmen. I don't think he'd disagree.
Click to expand...
Freddie King is another big influence of his. But from what I've read he's always been very reverential to the bluesmen of the past. It was a two-way street really, the success of people like Clapton allowed some of the surviving musicians from the Mississippi Delta to gain international fame and revive interest in their music (and get some financial compensation), recording & touring right up until their deaths in several cases.

Clapton was right on the crest of the wave of British musicians who brought blues to the white masses, which after some additional amplification and turbocharging started turning into rock. Clapton was right in the middle of all of it. He is the guy who popularized the Les Paul into a cranked Marshall amp. Anyone who's curious should check out some Freddie King, Albert King, Howling Wolf, etc. from the early/mid 60's. The genesis of the sound is there.

I'd agree that Hendrix broke more ground musically. I love his sense of rhythm, he was a great rhythm player. I like them both though. Clapton may also suffer a little in my mind because he has stuck around long enough to make some real turds in the last 20-30 years.
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Clapton's more recent work has definitely taken some luster off of his talent in the general public's eye. Between the awful 80s output and the softer acoustic stuff like Tears in Heaven or Change the World, it's easy to lose sight of his guitar god days.
 
Clapton of today is a bit deceiving. His style has matured and he's writting different music now. Someone metioned that songs like 'Change' and 'Tears' are doing damage to his rep. That isn't true except for young kids or folks that have never heard him. Both of those songs are good songs and well made. 'Tears' was written about his son dying and is full of emotion and great guitar work. It has soul like all his other work. Sure, his style has changed and isn't rocking as much anymore. However, the meat of good musicianship is soul, song structure, and good execution. He hasn't lost any of those qualities.

There is no BEST guitarist. Everyone is influenced by something else. Clapton, in the early days, was a god because CREAM, 'Birds, and Derek and Dominoes were fantastic bands. Clapton was right in the middle. Instead of taking someone's word on here, ask the guitar legends what they think. Ask Buddy Guy what he thinks about Clapton. Duane Allman, considered a god by most, spent 2 days traveling to Florida just to see the guy playing in person. They met after the show and that began their relationship.

He's done a ton to impact music with his style. His work has inspired millions of guitarists in one way or another. He's in a league that few guitarists will every get to. He has transcended many styles and his influence is all over the musical map.
 
Clapton is very good as was Jimi Hendrix.

So is Jimmy Page.

Best Rock Guitarists of all time?

1. Jeff Beck
2. Jimmy Page
3. Eric Clapton
4. Jimi Hendrix

Beck gets the nod as no-one can do what he can do on a guitar.

YardBirds
Led Zep (yup, Page wanted him in the band and he recorded songs with them for their first album)
Jeff Beck Co.
etc...
 
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